What Would You Do?
by AnarchistMongoose
Summary: What would you do, if an alien spaceship came to rest above your city? The thoughts of the inhabitants of Johannesburg when the ship first arrived, and how their opinions changed over time. Oneshot.


**A/N: So I was watching District 9 the other day, after reading some fanfiction of it, and I thought it would be interesting to try to think what the people thought about the prawns. I don't think I've done this very well, the transition is a bit too fast and I would have liked to have made it longer, but oh well. Maybe one day I'll revise it. Bit of an AU since they didn't give us very much information to go on in the film.**

**I don't own District 9.**

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_What would you do, if an alien spaceship came to rest above your city?_

Why, greet them of course! If they are not hostile, try to form a good relationship with them. We should treat them with friendliness, if they mean no harm.

_The ship does not open, and no communication has occurred. What do you think should happen?_

Go up there and try to make contact ourselves? Maybe they have crashed, or need help, or maybe they have had a ship malfunction and cannot get out.

_You go up, and you find they are sick._

We should help them! Even if we have never met them before, they are clearly sentient and should be treated with respect. Besides, we would not want to offend their home planet.

_They seem to be aimless, to have no goal. Any attempts to communicate with them have failed._

Maybe we just do not have the means to communicate with them? They are not from this planet, they have an entirely different culture and physiology. We should keep trying, maybe they are trying too? They are still sentient, aren't they?

_A temporary camp has been set up for them to live until a more permanent solution has been found. Do you approve of this? Do you think they could potentially live among us in peace?_

Yeah, they need somewhere to live, right? I think that's a good idea. If we could try and help them understand our culture a bit more, I see no reason why cohabitation would be impossible.

_They start to live among us, but they are violent. They seem to think destructive acts are recreational or acceptable, and consistently carry out these acts. They steal from humans and cause harm, sometimes even death. _

Well, if they're violent, then protective measures should be made. We don't want anyone to get hurt. Perhaps they could be separated from humans, just until they are no longer dangerous. We could teach them that these acts are wrong, then more interaction could happen.

_The camp has had a fence set up around it, with guards and towers and patrols. Areas are being labeled, human or non-human._

That seems to be a good idea, just until they aren't being so violent. They should have a place to live that is safe for both them and us.

_The camp has become a slum. The aliens do not take care of the resources given to them, and they frequently venture out to scavenge and attack people._

Well, if they're doing it themselves, that's their choice, right? I mean, that's their place to live and if they want it to be that way… Maybe their home planet is a bit like that? I dunno, but does it really matter? I can do what I like in my own home, why can't they? And if they are still getting out and hurting people, then they should be stopped. If they can't be trusted not to harm people, then the camp should be more heavily guarded.

_People have started to call them by the derogatory term of 'prawn'. What do you think of this?_

Well, they do kind of look like prawns, you know? And they do scavenge. Seems sorta fitting to me.

_Alien weaponry has been found in the camp, now called District 9. What action do you think should be taken?_

Well, it should be confiscated, right? I mean, if they can't even be trusted not to hurt people without weapons, what will they do with them? And if the government doesn't take them, then criminals or gangs would, and we wouldn't want that. They could be returned once the prawns have proved that they won't hurt anyone.

_People are rioting. They do not want the prawns living near them and interacting with their children. _

Well, I guess that's understandable, if they're violent. People don't want their children and families to be around that kind of danger. Maybe the prawns could be moved?

_It is discovered that one of the favoured foods of the prawns is cat food, what do you think of this?_

Cat food? Um, okay, each to their own, right? We should give them their… cat food. It could be similar to food on their own planet? Uh, I dunno. Um. But doesn't cat food…? Never mind. It doesn't matter. They can eat what they want unless it's hurting someone, but I sure wouldn't want to smell their breath!

_There are more deaths. Prawns are still getting out of the District and hurting people. They steal and commit violent acts like arson. It has been three years since they have arrived._

They should be kept in the District! If they're hurting people, it needs to be stopped. I mean, when they first arrived it could just have been culture shock, they didn't know what was and wasn't acceptable, but now it's just bad. They've had more than enough time to understand what is wrong. The government should take more action.

_It has been seven years since the aliens arrived. Gangs have started to take action. They are taking the opportunities offered by the prawns, selling them cat food and meat and other things._

Yeah, so? I mean, gangs are never a good thing, but someone has to give the prawns what they want, and it might be dangerous to get too close to them, so if the gangs wanna do it…

_But what if the gangs are hurting them? There are reports of gang members carrying knives and sometimes even guns in with them when they trade with the prawns._

Well, I guess they gotta protect themselves, right? I mean, if the prawns attack them, they should be able to fight back.

_It has been eleven years since the aliens arrived. Rumours are circling about alien experimentation, in order to try and utilize their weaponry. Do you think this is right?_

Well, if they're here, we might as well take advantage of it. I think we have a right to try and use their weapons, seeing as they're using our planet.

_But how do you know the aliens have consented to the experiments?_

They probably have. Doesn't really matter though, does it? If there's one less prawn. That means there'll be more space and food for the rest of them. Maybe they won't come out of the District so often.

_It has been fourteen years since the aliens arrived._

Bloody prawns, getting in the way. Haven't been so many tourists to these parts since they moved in, you know? Sure, when they first arrived, everyone wanted to have a look. Now, though, now they're just an eyesore.

_It has been eighteen years since the aliens arrived._

Won't let my kids come home from school alone anymore. Not now their route takes them past the District. I don't want my children exposed to that sort of danger. They might get hurt. Filthy prawns.

_It has been twenty years since the aliens arrived._

I'm gonna be joining in the riots they've got planned for tomorrow. I'm not gonna take it anymore, none of us are. We don't wanna live near those things anymore, and we sure as hell aren't moving. They're gonna have to. Should have only been temporary anyway. The government should never have let them live so close to humans.

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_What would you do, if your ship landed on a foreign planet? If you could not open your ship, if you were sick, and if you could not communicate with the natives?_


End file.
